Happy Birthday Odd Bods Style

One of the wonderful traditions held by the Odd Bods is the posting of hand written Birthday Cards to wives and widows of veterans.

It was a tradition started in the early days of the Odd Bods, by Shirley Smith, wife of Odd Bods founder George Smith, and carried on down through the years.

Remembering birthdays requires a system. A diary and an information book are just two of the tools held by Lorna Fitch who is the current Birthday Card scribe.

The information book includes details of past cards and events in the lives of each recipient usually gleaned from their written replies. Lorna sends out about 100 cards per year and recalls a number of wonderful exchanges with recipients either via phone calls or letter.

In today’s digital world a hand written card can have special meaning.  It is all part of keeping in touch. Lorna feels it is now time to pass on the baton and if you, or someone you know, would like to take on this worthwhile task we would love to hear from you.

Contact Us

Peter Scully Interviews – Peter Isaacson

AVM Peter Scully (Rtd) has recorded a number of excellent interviews with veterans over the years. The interviews cover various aspects of wartime including initial sign-up, training, war experiences and returning home.

Peter Scully’s conversational style adds a wonderful element to the interviews. His own knowledge of wartime events means he inevitably asks the right questions and reveals real insight into the experiences of war – both good and bad, happy and sad.

This first interview is with Peter Isaacson AM, DFC, AFC, DFM. Peter’s story starts with his school years and his first job with a newspaper which was to translate later in life to a publishing career. He goes on to talk about training as a Pilot in Canada, and various wartime stories including how his crew used to bet on who got closest to the target on bombing raids.

There is much to read here and the full story can be found by clicking on this link – Peter Isaacson Story.

Some Links You Might Like To Check Out

Video of re-vitalised 1939 Douglas C41A - https://vimeo.com/203544093

Video of unfortunate Spitfire accident in France  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-uQqXKBYAg

Amazing restored photos from WWII  - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4625430/John-Dibbs-historian-Kent-Ramsey-restore-WW2-images.html

Donating Wartime Memorabilia

The handling of war time family memorabilia has been discussed on a number of occasions at meetings of Friends of the Odd Bods and clearly this is an issue for many.  

We covered the matter back in July 2016 (https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/what-to-do-with-war-time-memorabilia.html) and we are pleased to advise that further progress has been made.

Committee Member, Michael Rossiter, has taken on the task of evaluating options for the handling of veterans memorabilia and specifically how they might be donated to the RAAF Museum at  Point Cook.

Michael recently met with David Gardner, the Director of the museum. Further discussions will take place with the Museum later in the year or early next year but in the meantime some key points were discussed.

 1) Number One item - The family has to be sure that when donating items (medals, logbooks, maps, clothing, etc) all family are 100% confirmed as once the items are donated, the museum is in full control;

 2) The items accepted by the museum are for RAAF servicemen/servicewomen only;

 3) Items donated to the museum can be loaned by the museum to places such as The Shrine, however the family will be notified of this;

 4) Items may take up to 10 years to be placed on show without request;

 5) If family wants to view items, they must give the museum around 8 weeks to organise this to occur;

6) Items will be receipted into the museum and the family will be given written acknowledgement of this. The family will then receive formal advice of this at a later date with further detail relating to the terms of the museum. This is in accordance with the museum's procedures.

If you have any queries about this process please pass them on to us by email or phone (see Contact Us tab at top of page) so that we can include them in discussions with the museum.

Some More Mirth From Walter Eacott

Yesterday I was at my local Safeway buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had---- an elephant?

So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stopped to Pee on a Fire Hydrant and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was Laughing so hard.

Safeway won't let me shop there anymore. Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the World to think of crazy things to say.

Having A Dig - Air Force Style

Having A Dig 1.

I recall an old Navigator at an Ansett pilot retirement function putting heaps on the pilots landings.

The pilot then told the story that they crewed together on Wellingtons early in the War when pigeons in cages were carried in case of ditching.

This cage resided between the Pilot and Nav, and after ditching the survivors would write a note, fasten it to the pigeons leg and it would flap on home to Base.

Strangely enough that is true.

Story has it that outbound to Germany one night the Navigator slowly and nervously drew a track line on the chart.

Looking up he noticed the pigeon slowly shake its head sideways.

--The Nav drew another track line !.

Having A Dig 2.

Thanks to Ken Broomhead for these gems.

Homeward Bound Part 3 Conclusion By Maurice Smith

Continuing the story of Maurie Smith's journey home after the war on board M.V."Athlone Castle".


Day 29
10.30pm – Knocking back a steak, chips and eggs with a Pot of Beer in the approved manner. We’re a little out of practice but it sure tastes good! 
12.05am – Back on board. What struck us most on our return to Australian soil? 
        A) The abundance of good food and its availability and;
        B) The Australian accent – particularly issuing from the mouths of Australian women. (Remember we have only heard Canadian women, American women, English, Scottish and Irish women for years until now) The Australian accent sounds just like the drawl which outsiders have always been telling us overseas, we speak. We couldn’t notice it when we lived here. We can now.

Perth 1945 viewed from Kings Park.

30th Day – The Ship’s engineers have found a repair job to do and we are staying another 24 hours. Time enough to be off to Perth for the day.
10.15am – Arrived in Perth. Certainly, a nice little place. Someone has described it as a country town with a City Centre. The financial situation with our foursome is a bit light on but with skilful budgetting, we may get by.
1.30pm – Having another steak with the trimmings with a Pot of Ale for lunch.
3pm – Visiting King’s Park and admiring the view overlooking the city. Also, watched some lawn tennis being played, the first we had seen for a long time.
9.15pm – Off to the Trotting at Gloucester Park. Strained finances limited the punting but Harry’s knowledge of horseflesh limited the damage and we came out with as much as we went in with.
11.30pm – Having yet another steak at a Café in Fremantle before returning to the ship. To bed after a busy day.

31st Day
8am – The gangplank is up but we haven’t pushed off yet. A couple of late comers are clambering aboard via a rope ladder.
8.10am – We have cast off but an even later comer is doing a war dance on the dock. Maybe the pilot boat will take pity of him and deliver him safely on board.
12.30pm –Have covered 51 miles by noon and should round the Cape about 8pm tonight. There is a strong southerly wind. The temperature just about 60o. The swell is heavy causing the Athlone to pitch a bit.

8.10pm – A tannoy announcement has ordered Duty Personnel to remove crockery from the tables as we are about to change course and this will mean we will be taking the swell on the beam.
9.15pm – We have been rolling quite a bit. Discretion being the better part of valour have decided to turn in for an early night!

32nd Day – The last day of 1945. We are still running along the swell but it seems less noticeable this morning. The weather is cool and cloudy.
9.30am – Playing “500” again in the lounge. Lloyd is using his last Bank of England note to keep the score then take home as a souvenir of the voyage.
12.30pm – At noon we had about 1200 miles to go to Port Melbourne.
8.30pm – New Year’s Eve. The first I have ever spent on board a ship. Last year Harry and I spent a freezing night in Llandwrog, North Wales huddled round a wooden stove in a Nissen Hut on the Station, eating from a food parcel sent from home. Next year? Who knows? A broadcast from the ABC Radio in Melbourne advises that the New Year will be a quiet one there. There is a shortage of electricity and gas due to a coal strike.

33rd Day – Welcome to the Year 1946. Our noon position was 300 miles south of the Head of the Bight – 770 miles from Port Phillip Heads.
2pm –We have just caught up to a Ship – “The Rangatata” which, the tannoy broadcast tells us, has several hundred War Brides on board. However, it is almost out of sight on the horizon.

34thDay -A run of 418 miles has put us 130 miles south of Kangaroo Island. There is a heavy cross swell and the ship seems to be rolling more than previously. Having a final card game before going to a cinema show.
10.15pm – Have just seen the show – Joan Fontaine in “The Affairs of Susan” a sophisticated comedy. Excellent entertainment.

35th Day – The final day of the voyage of M.V. Athlone Castle from Southampton, England to Melbourne Australia.
8.30am – We have entered the Heads and picked up the Pilot
9.40am – Air-Marshall Jones, Chief of Staff, is following us in a launch. A radio report informs us that he will board the ship and give us a welcome home address.
10.15am – We have stopped while the Port Doctor and Quarantine Officials come on board. The morning is dull, cold and drizzling rain, reminiscent of the North of England! The crowds of people waiting on the docks must be experiencing dampened clothes if not dampened spirits.
12.15pm – We are being pulled alongside now. Despite orders to the contrary everyone is crowding the port rails.

“WELCOME HOME MAURIE” SHOUTS A HOME-MADE SIGN
 HELD ALOFT IN THE CROWD 
BY MY MOTHER, FATHER AND SISTERS.”

Links to previous parts of Maurie's story -
https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/homeward-bound-by-maurice-smith.html

https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/homeward-bound-part-2-by-maurie-smith.html

https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/homeward-bound-part-3-by-maurice-smith.html

Passing of Hilton J Nicholas

Hilton J Nicholas, AM OBE

Hurricane Pilot

RAAF Number 430918

With regret, I write to advise you of the death, on 25 January 2017, of Member Hilton John Nicholas AM OBE of Howlong, NSW 2643 (my husband), and to ask you to make the necessary notation in the Friends of the Odd Bods Association membership files.

Hilton enlisted on 23 April 1943, having just turned 18.  After training in Australia and qualifying as a pilot, he was posted to the UK, where he was based in the south of England, flying Hurricanes.  He was then seconded to the RAF as an instructor of naval aviators.  He was discharged on 31 January 1946 – not yet 21 years of age - upon repatriation to Australia after the War.

In civilian life, Hilton joined Nicholas Aspro, the major Australian and International pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprise established by his father, George (the inventor of Aspro), and George’s brother Alfred.  He remained with the company for whole of his business career, taking on high level responsibility both within Australia and overseas.

For more than 25 years Hilton was a member of the Board of the Corps of Commissionaires, assisting retired Veterans with civilian service opportunities and employment suited to their circumstances.

He was also a noted breeder of thoroughbreds, and served on the Committee of the Victoria Racing Club (Flemington) for 33 years.  He was Chairman of the VRC from 1982 to 1986, and Chairman of the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) for 16 years, succeeding the inaugural Chairman Sir Chester Manifold.

Among his many other involvements in public life, he was a Board Member of the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne for 30 years, the last five as Chairman.

I hope this short resumé may be of some interest to you as part of the Association’s records.

With kind regards

Marjorie Nicholas OAM

Digital Aviation Art

Digital art is an artistic practice that uses digital technology to create some amazing works. It has been used in many fields but the application to WW2 aviation is particularly relevant to these pages. These stunning examples are just some of those available online with a quick google search.
Thanks to Ken Broomhead for passing them on.

Homeward Bound Part 3 by Maurice Smith

Homeward Bound Episode 3 

24th Day – Hot sunny day but with a nice breeze this morning.
12.45pm – Have made our best day’s run so far – 440 miles in the past 23½hours. Tomorrow will be Christmas Eve.
9.15am – Have just had a sharp scud of rain and it looks like more to follow, so we are moving our “500” game under cover.
11.30pm – Raining steadily. To bed.

25th Day (Christmas Eve) – A nice morning after a wet night. Those who didn’t seek cover in time are still busy drying saturated clothes.
1pm – Weather hot and steamy. A good day’s run again 436 miles. We will be passing the Cocos Islands about midnight tonight.
7.30pm – Some Carol singing has been going on along the Promenade Deck, but that has now finished in favour of recordings. Bing Crosby is singing “Holy Night”. The evening is warm, clear and otherwise quiet. 

The mind wanders. How are others spending Christmas Eve? Our nearest point in the world at present is Java. There the scene must be a sorry one. Little peace and happiness instead news of starvation, looting and murder. The mind leaves this ugly scene and thoughts of Australia enter. Christmas Eve is likely to be at celebrated in a much freer and happier spirit than in the recent past years. No doubt the sun continues to beat down fiercely on Australia’s wide, sandy beaches and its rolling plains. 

The mind turns back to our Training Days in Canada where the snow lies thick on the slopes of the mighty Rocky Mountains. It lies too on the prairie country of Saskatchewan and over the Maple Forests of Ontario. In fact, everywhere from coast to coast Canada will be celebrating a “White Christmas” in peace and harmony, as few countries in the world can celebrate it. 

Let’s go down over the border now to the Colossus of the New World, New York City, where we spent a week’s final leave before embarking for the U.K. On Park Avenue, the mind sees again the Mink Coats and faultlessly groomed women of Café Society taking their silky coated pets for their daily walk. Down at Jack Dempsey’s Bar on Broadway can be heard, over the bar chatter, the filling of beer glasses and the tinkling of ice cubes as the Tom Collins and the Rum and Cokes are prepared. 

The mind now flits across the Atlantic to the first Christmas war shattered Britain and Europe have spent in peace since 1939. A raw, heavy fog is likely to be hanging over the Thames Estuary, indeed over London as a whole. It hangs too, over the Moors of Yorkshire, over the Merseyside and the Cumberland Hills. The first snow has probably fallen on the rugged highlands of Scotland while down in Cornwall the sun breaks through intermittently. Britain will be having its happiest Christmas for years. There’s no doubt about that. But there are still problems in transitioning to normality. However, mercifully the trouble no longer comes from the skies in the shape of Bombs VI’s and VII’s or from the long casualty lists in the daily newspapers. Across to the continent of Europe where the scene can only be described as grim. Destruction, death, starvation and homelessness,stalk the lands. 

The mind turns now to the Middle East – The very birthplace of Christmas. Here, too, the scene is troubled. Suspicion, hostility and unrest stalk the area. What a relief to find oneself

on the deck of the Athlone Castle listening to Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”, followed by the Boston Promenade Orchestra giving us “Meditation”. Des has requested “I’ll Get By” and luckily enough it’s the next recording up, with the “Inkspots” singing it.

26th Day – Christmas Day has arrived and incidentally Harry’s birthday as well. Celebrated with two small bottles of beer each.
12.30pm – Lunch was nothing unusual. The day’s run was only 406 miles. This brings us within 950 miles of the nearest point of Australia – the North-West Cape.
5.45pm –It has been a warm, sunny afternoon and we are ready for Tea.
7pm – The evening meal made up for the ordinary lunch. Turkey, Plum Pudding and fruit was well received by all. The wind is getting up and we look set for a rough night.
10.30pm – It has started to rain heavily and we have moved under cover.

27th Day – A rough morning with weather reminiscent of the North Atlantic – high wind, heavy grey swell and driving rain. It’s the heaviest sea we have experienced for the whole voyage. The boat is rolling quite a lot. 
1pm – The day’s run was 421 miles. We are 600 miles west of the North-West Cape and should reach Fremantle by Saturday morning. Deck sports are scheduled this afternoon. Have entered for Quoits.
4.30pm – Deck sports fell flat owing to non-attendance of most competitors due to the foul weather.

28th Day–A finer morning dawns although still very windy. At noon we were 245 miles west of Dirk Hartog Island and 517 miles short of Fremantle where we are now due to arrive by tomorrow evening. Leave passes have been given out although there is some doubt as to whether any personnel other than West Australians will be getting off.
10pm – Enjoyed a very good concert this evening given by the Ship’s Concert Party.

29th Day – A daily run of 430 miles has put us within 97 miles of Fremantle. We should pick up the coast about 3pm this afternoon.
4.30pm – A fine warm afternoon. We are cruising some miles off shore.
5.40pm – Approaching Rottnest Island at reduced speed. Will have tea early and get up on deck again to watch the pull into Port.
6.45pm – Two miles off Fremantle and the tugs are coming out. The Port looks pretty.

An unknown troop ship berths at Fremantle 1945.

7.10pm –Coming in to dock. Only a few people at the end of the breakwater. Some wit comments “both the locals are here to meet us!” But hang on – there is a real crowd up at our berthing position.
7.25pm – Abreast of our berthing position, one lady in the excited assembly on the wharf has fainted and been rescued by an Ambulance crew. The ship has developed a decided list to Starboard and a request to personnel to balance the ship falls on deaf ears.
8pm – We have finally berthed. A number of officials have come on board. Also, an entrepreneurial newspaper boy is doing a roaring trade. The Western Australians on board are first to disembark and later the rest of us can go ashore for a few hours, but we expect to sail again tomorrow morning.

9.30pm – Ashore in Australia for the first time for four years. Tried to telephone home by long distance telephone. Had no luck. Instead sent telegram reading “arrived Fremantle. Expect to reach home God willing next Wednesday.”

Continued.......

The Battle Over Dunsfold

Many Odd Bods will have wartime memories of Dunsfold airfield in the UK and the location is again in the news for different reasons. There is a proposal to build up to 5000 residences at the airfield and locals are not happy with the possible impact on this historic location.

“Between 1942 and 1945 a variety of aircraft operated from Dunsfold, including B-25 Mitchell Bombers, Typhoons, Mustangs, Mosquitoes and Spitfires.”

In 2002, Dunsfold was sold to the Rutland Group, a property development, management and investment company. It has been used as the site of car testing for the Top Gear TV show and more recently a proposal to build 2,600 eco-friendly homes was knocked by the government who wanted a minimum of 5000 homes to qualify for eco-town status.

A revised proposal by the owners for 1800 homes had many opponents and then an interim measure to expand the use of the runways was also rejected. Dunsfold’s future remains the subject of much discussion and lobbying. the local Waverley Borough Council recently rejected declaring the airfield a conservation area and now a public enquiry will be held on 18th July 2017.

Photo Of  180 Squadron B-25 from Dunsfold Historical Society website.

Link To Dunsfold Airfield Historical Society: https://dunsfoldairfield.org/tag/ww2/

More photos of Dunsfold: http://derelictmisc.org.uk/rafbhq.html

Successful Search For 464 Squadron Logo

Back in May 2016 we published an article on these pages looking for a suitable graphic of a 464 Squadron logo that could be used to engrave into a granite headstone.

Friends of the Odd Bods member, Tess Egan, wanted to have the logo engraved on her father, John Rayner’s, headstone. John passed away on 15th July 2015. Photos of old badges were available but getting a graphic good enough for engraving wasn’t easy, and although the article got good coverage, the search appeared doom to fail.

We are pleased to advise that a friend of Tess’s son managed to graphically enhance the available photos and produce a version suitable for engraving as our photos show. The result is a fine tribute to John Rayner, and to Tess’s persistence in honouring here Father's memory.

VE Day Service at The Shrine 2017

An expanded program for the VE Day service at Melbourne's Shrine was embraced by Friends of the Odd Bods as our photos show.

VE Day Wiki: Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, VE Day or simply V Day, was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe. 

Lt.Col. David Blackwell (Ret) from the RSL
and new RSL State President Dr. Robert
Webster OAM flank Weston Bate.

Odd Bod Don Charlwood

Walter Eacott has written to us as follows - 

"I have just received an email from Doreen Burge, a publisher and daughter of famous Odd Bod Don Charlwood. Her mother Nell died on 22 March, age 97 and three quarters!

 Don was a Navigator on 103 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, and completed a tour of ops in 1943. He became an author and wrote many books including “No Moon Tonight”, that detailed his training in Canada and subsequent ops on reaching England. Don met Nell, a Canadian lass, and their courtship whilst he was training may have been rather distracting for him! He died on 18 June 2012. I have attached a copy of his history from wikipedia, thinking that you may like to publish all or part of same for the website, especially the Military Section.

Regards,

Walter."

Thanks Walter. Don Charlwood’s story will certainly be of interest. Here is the Wikipedia entry.

"Military service:

In 1940 as war unfolded in Europe and France and the Low Countries fell he signed up for the RAAF and was placed on the reserve. For the rest of 1940, Charlwood worked at The 21 Lessons – a course to ensure candidates were fitted for the theoretical work of initial training. In May 1941, after 11 months on the reserve, Charlwood was called up and posted to No 1. Initial Training School, Somers, Victoria. From Somers, he proceeded to Sydney and then to Vancouver in Canada. Their trip to Canada on the liner SS Monterey was the first across the Pacific by Australian service personnel on a ship registered in neutral America. On reaching Vancouver, Charlwood along with the rest of his group, was sent to Edmonton. In October 1942, they started their training as bomb-aimer/navigators on Course 35 of No. 2 Air Observer Training School, Empire Air Training Scheme. Six months, a number of courses and stations, and around 160 hours of flying time later, initial training was complete.

In May 1943, Charlwood and his course travelled to England, on the Polish liner MS Batory anchoring on the River Clyde on the evening of 12 May. Here the course was split, with Charlwood and half of them posted to No. 3 Advanced Flying Unit, Bobbington, between the Severn Valley and Birmingham. After completing Advanced Flying, aircrew were posted to Operational Training Units, their entry into combat operations. Charlwood was posted to No, 27 OTU, Lichfield – a unit that fed Bomber Command. He had almost 200 hours flying time.

At Tatenhill, a satellite airfield of Lichfield, Charlwood, with Pilot Geoff Maddern, crewed up to form a crew of five – the basis of all his future flying in Bomber Command. On 1 August 1942 they flew together as a crew for the first time, in a Wellington Bomber. On the night of 5 September 1942, they made their last training flight. Charlwood's total flying time was now just under 257 hours. Training completed, they were posted to fly with No. 103 Squadron RAF, Elsham Wolds. Soon after joining the squadron converted from Handley Page Halifaxes to Avro Lancasters. Charlwood completed a full tour of 30 operations and was then "screened" to training duties with 27 OTU. He was subsequently mustered for repatriation to Australia via the US where he was to train for duties in the Pacific theatre on Consolidated Liberator 4 engined bombers.

Following his return to Australia he was invalided out of the RAAF in July 1945, and commenced work with the Department of Civil Aviation, initially as an Air Traffic Controller, and later in training and recruitment. It was while working at the DCA that he wrote No Moon Tonight relying heavily on diaries he kept during training and operational flying.

In 1992 Charlwood was made a Member of the Order of Australian in recognition of service to literature. He died in June 2012."

Odd Bod Features In Herald Sun Article

Gerald McPherson featured in an article in Melbourne's Herald Sun on Monday in the lead up to Anzac Day.
The following reference was made to Gerald -

GERALD McPHERSON, 92
WORLD WAR II, 1944
It was Gerald McPherson's 37th flight in a rattling old bomber in his role as a rear gunner - and almost his last.
Nine months into his tour of duty, his plane was caught in the searchlights high above enemy territory.
the pilots threw the plane around like a fighter plane in a bid to get out of sight, back into the dark skyabove Kiel, a major naval base in Germany's north.
"The pilot put the plane nose down; we dived over the North Sea," Mr. McPherson said. "I looked below and suddenly I saw two gunners in another bomber looking straight back at me.
"That's how close we came to a midair collision.
"to this day I have never forgotten it. We shouldn't have been there in the first place and we almost didn't make it back."

Thanks to Peter Randell for the photos.

Friends of the Odd Bods Association Reunion - Anzac Day 2017

A wonderful luncheon at The Riverwalk Amora Hotel was enjoyed by a good turn out of veterans, friends and family members on Anzac Day 2017. President Bruce Waxman conducted affairs and we enjoyed an address from Patron Peter Scully, a good dose of humour from Walter Eacott, and some lively contributions from Weston Bate and others.
Following are some photos from the luncheon and we include a photo of one of our drivers from 13 CABS who were good enough to provide us with 2 maxi cabs to make sure we all got to the venue after the march.